There's huge news tonight in National Football: The World Governing body for football has suspended the Football Federation of Belize. It is a direct result of what Sports Minister John Saldivar said on this newscast last night about not allowing the police department to provide security for the game against Montserrat in Belmopan on Sunday.

FIFA has concluded that the Government is meddling in football affairs, which is strictly prohibited under FIFA statutes, thus the ban. The ban means that Sunday's game has been postponed.

We'll have the full statement from FIFA shortly but we begin tonight's coverage of this very significant issue at the international airport.

That's where the national selection returned from Montserrat to discover that Sunday's return match has been postponed. Here's what the team's reaction was:

Jules Vasquez Reporting
They won five two in Montserrat. But even with that and the flag on their practice jersey, the national football selection returned to an anonymous homecoming - but more than that, their return was complicated by some very bad news:

Ian Gaynair, Defence"Well as I reach I get in a million text messages saying that we get suspended."

Which meant that Sunday's game - which the Montserrat team arrived for - won't be played. It's a major embarrassment and a logistical nightmare, but the Montserratians didn't want to comment. Their hosts though, confess great shame:

Ian Gaynair, Defence"We have a lot of shame face right now when we first hear it. I think that some of the guys are in there crying right now."

And the tears - they say are for dreams deferred:

Shane Orio, Goalkeeper/Captain"I think kits unfair that people that we elected to provide opportunities for us; for our dreams now are the same people that today took away our dreams, our aspiration."

Ian Gaynair, Defence"I get cold seed and eye water in my eyes but what else can we do? It looks like our future is done. It looks like it will be a new generation because our career is done now."

Deon Macauley, striker"To tell you the truth I don't know what to say because I don't really want to get into that next world because that does not concern me. My job as a player is to go out there and to represent my country, put my foot down and do what I have to do out there to make my country look good - to build up this country in football."

Shane Orio, Goalkeeper/Captain"To practically to not advance you would have to lose 4-0 and again the only way to not advance is by doing what the government did that's why I say it's unbelievable because the only way that we could not advance is by suspension."

Ian Gaynair, Defence"I think this was the greatest opportunity in football for Belize. We already had one foot in to advance to the next round. This is the round of 16 that a lot of things could have happen for us and they just take it away."

Shane Orio, Goalkeeper/CaptainMinister Saldivar is behind his desk right now in Belmopan smiling right now because the target is Dr. Chimilio. But at the end of the day he did not affect Dr. Chimilio because Dr. Chimilio is still a part of FIFA. He affected us the Belizean players and Belizean that are from here - grass roots Belizeans."

After that the Montserrat team jumped on a bus and went to its hotel - while the Belize selection went to the Biltmore for a Press Conference.

That's where Senior Vice president of the FFB, Bernaldino Pech presented the media with a letter from Markus Kattner, the Deputy Secretary General of FIFA.

Dated today, the letter explains why Sunday's match "cannot take place." The gist of that letter was also posted on FIFA's website as a statement on the situation. Here's what that had to say:

"The FIFA Emergency Committee decided today…to suspend the Football Federation of Belize with immediate effect on account of severe governmental interference. The suspension means that the return leg of the qualifying tie for the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, due to be played in Belize on 19 June between the home team and Montserrat, has been postponed."
It continues to explain that ion 8 June the Government cautioned FIFA that the FFB is not authorized to represent Belize, and that FIFA wrote back, warning the Government that what it was doing amounted to government interference.

FIFA gave the FFB until 30th. June to settle the matter or it would be referred to the FIFA Emergency Committee. But that timeline had to be aborted yesterday when (and we go back to the FIFA Press Release for this):

"government wrote to FIFA….saying the Belize police would "not be providing any services to the Federation with respect to the security of the visiting team and officials at the match" to be played on 19 June. ??Under these circumstances, and due to the interference of the government of Belize, FIFA cannot take the responsibility of letting the match take place."
The statement continues:

The match has therefore been postponed to a new date to be confirmed, but no later than 10 July 2011, provided that the situation is back to normal regarding the FFB and the suspension has been lifted by that date. In the event that the match cannot take place by that date, the national "A" team of Belize will be excluded from the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil preliminary competition.??The suspension will be in place until the Belize government reverses its decision."
Thats the end of the statement form FIFA - a statement that sent shockwaves through the global and local football community, after all Belize has just played and won the very first match of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers…and now, this!?
At the press conference at the Biltmore - Team Captain Shane Orio was still upbeat. He said the line about the match only being postponed, gives him hope:

Shane Orio, Goalkeeper/Captain"line number one because at the end of the day it still gives hope and there is always a light and we hope that the government would review their actions and hopefully they could come to agreement and like I said before at least let us play this game and then if they have any problems they could take it up from there."

Bernadino Pech, Senior President - FFB"The reason that FIFA took this approach is because if the government of Belize cannot guarantee the security of this visiting national team - cannot guarantee the security of the FIFA officials and guarantee the security of our own local Belizeans then they had no other recourse but to proceed in the manner in which they did."

"I just cannot imagine even as I stand here, I just cannot imagine a government that would purposely seek to derail the dreams and aspirations of a nation because irs not only the footballers that are affected it is all those fans who support football - all those individuals who want something to cheer about."

Shane Orio, Goalkeeper/Captain"Most of us are emotional because at the end of the day with all due respect, I don't know if the Prime Minister or Minister of Sports ever been on the field at Dangriga at Alejo Beni Park barefoot playing football from a child - watch TV and have that dream of playing international football but I think it's unfair for them to asks us to sacrifice something at
the end of the day they are not a part of. After a 5-2 win and again I am happy for Deon and now happy that a Belizean and is name will be down in the history of football for the rest of his life. Not only for scoring the first goal but also I think it's the first time a Belizean has scored an international hat trick. So again these are positive things and at the end of the day I think that anybody with a right set of mind and right thinking could look at this situation and see that at the end of the day it will only benefit us the players."

Sports Minister John Saldivar who has freely granted interviews throughout the fiasco - declined comment today.
A few details for context: The suspension right now is only temporary - to see if the government and the FFB can works out their issues before July tenth.

By procedure the suspension must be of the FFB, but it is expressly because of what FIFA calls "severe government interference."

And what does a suspension involve? Well it's very serious: it means During the period of suspension, the FFB will not be able to be represented in any regional, continental or international competitions, including at club level, and also not in friendly matches." Belizean players on contract with international clubs - there are three of them - can continue - but players who are not presently on contract cannot sign unto a contract during a suspension.

Aslo, according to the FFB, assistant referee Ricardo Ake - who was already in Mexico to officiate the U - 17 World Cup final also has to be recalled.

Its a long story but here is my take on it. Bertie Chimilio has been president of Football Federation Of Belize (which FIFA recognizes as the official Belize Football organization) for donkeys ears and has consolidated his position by putting his supporters in the key positions to ensure his eternal reelection to the presidency. FIFA gives FFB an annual budget ( I think in the region of $0.5M BZ) in addition to other discretionary funds and funding for specified projects to improve football in Belize. Chimilio (like other national presidents) uses these funds to reward his supporters. The same is done to all FIFA recognized national organizations. FIFA's international president keeps his supporters (national presidents) in his pocket by providing national presidents with perks and thus solidifies the current international president's hold on that position until he is ready to step down when he basically annoints his successor and Chimilio like other national presidents does the same to guarantee his longevity. One of FIFA's basic credo is that governments do not interfere in the national organizations affairs. Successive Belize governments have long recognized that FIFA is a cash cow worth controlling and numerous attempts to put in their "man" at the national helm have been launched to no avail. The last such attempt was in 2004 by former PM Said Musa who tried to oust Chimilio but Current PM Dean Barrow rushed to Chimilio's defense (much like he did with the Maya Land Rights issue) and managed to save Chimilio from ouster. Fast forward to 2011 and current PM Barrow has decided that he must control FFB and has "sicced" Sports Minister Saldivar after Chimilio. Chimilio was holding his ground until GOB changed the law/rules and decided to "derecognize" FFB and set up its own national organization. This led to GOB's recent decision not to recognize FFB's national selection as the Belize national team. It is alleged that GOB went as far as to request that the US government deny intransit visas to the FFB players so that they could not travel to Trinidad. The wily Chimilio took his squad through Panama and they played and won their game against Monserrat a few days ago. The return match was scheduled for this coming Sunday but Barrow would have none of it and wrote FIFA informing that the GOB would not be providing security for the games and that the visitors were playing at their own risk. It is also alleged that GOB instructed the members of the police department that they were forbidden from working any security detail even in a private capacity for the FIFA sanctioned game. FIFA responded this morning by stating that it would not put Monserrat's national team at risk and expelled Belize from participation in any FIFA activities until GOB recognizes FIFA's autonomy. Both parties seem to have battened their hatches leaving Belize Football players out in the cold as far as participation in international football.

response from another friend...

This argument has been going on for more than a decade and the basic gist is as stated above. However, the argument does not stem so much from trying to oust Chimilio as trying to hold him accountable for his actions as the Executive of FIFA Belize. The rift started when team owners asked for an accounting and an audit of the FIFA Belize books. Chimilio refused and the “war” started. There are two football organizations in Belize, the FIFA sanctioned with second tier players and an association made up of the first tier players (who by the way play for the National Team in International FIFA sanctioned event).

I was an owner of a first tier team and tried to discuss this directly with Chimilio results of which were negative. I wrote to the Regional Head of FIFA to ask for intervention and their response was that this must be worked through the chain of command, that I must write to Chimilio and Chimilio decides whether to escalate, which obviously he wasn’t. I explained to FIFA that Chimilio was blocking the request and they said that’s all that can be done. As Alvaro said, FIFA managers are “elected” by their subordinates and therefore make sure that whoever is a country head will support them in “elections”. In our case, the Regional head is afraid that if Chimilio is replaced he would lose that vote.

The failed discussion with FIFA resulted in my, and other owners, request that GOB become involved by demanding that FIFA Belize provide accounting transparency especially considering that the organization represents our country internationally. Alvaro spoke to that by saying that Barrow defended FIFA in that request a few years back. The reality was that the Musa administration tried only half heartedly, afraid that FIFA would pull the US $0.5MM it gives the country. By the way, that is for a staff of 3-5 depending on who you ask since there is no real accounting. Chimilio spends as he wishes, collects dues and fees from team owners, and refuses to give the FIFA sanctioned benefits to the team owners (i.e. free world cup passes). In fact, he sells those if you wish to buy them.

I lost significant amount of money in my foray into professional sports in Belize with Team owners not respecting contracts, FIFA not enforcing transfer fees nor supporting the sports venues with assigned money, and Team owners paying off referees (caught on video). I am not one calling for Dr. Chimilio to leave although I would welcome that idea. I merely ask that there be some level of transparency with what is being done.

GOB needs to approach it from that point of view – accounting transparency is expected of business and individuals, why not FIFA Belize.

Last Friday FIFA suspended Belize just days before the return footballmatch between Belize and Montserrat. This was after Government wroteto the governing football body to say it would not be providing securityfor the upcoming match. There has been debate on what has transpired,with emotions running high on both ends. Love News spoke with ShaneOrio Moody, team captain and goalkeeper. We asked Moody whetherFriday’s decision could have been averted.

Shane Orio Moody – Team Captain/Goalkeeper“Well definitely yes. I personally believe that at the end of the day, withall due respect, the government did not look and try to see if would havebenefited the players. It is sad to say that the only country inCentral America that has a players’ association is Costa Rica so in therest of the countries it is the government’s duty, it is the government’sresponsibility to see the well being and welfare of the players. Inthis case I think that was not the case. I think instead of worryingabout the players or seeing how it would affect the players, the mainthing, not only the government, most of Belize it is Chimilio, Chimilio itis about Chimilio but at the end of the day what the government has done isaffecting not only myself but it will affect all Belizeans that have thedreams and hope to play international football. It is a situationthat at the end of the day harm us and it will go on for the past 5 or 10years and everything depends on FIFA and their administration and FIFA nothere in Belize, FIFA in Switzerland they are clear, we don’t want nogovernmental interference. Hopefully, they have up to the 10th andhopefully thins could be resolved.”

Shane Orio Moody – Team Captain/Goalkeeper“Yes I think both parties could have done things differently but right nowto a certain extent I believe we have reached a power struggle. TheFFB did comply with what Sports Council wanted and Sports Council kept onchanging the applications forms and they are saying you can’t change theapplications forms on us. So again for me it is a power struggle. Itis sad to see that we the players are affected. At the end of the daywe still have our hopes and dreams intact and hopefully this weekeverything could work out.”

Ava Diaz Sosa - ReporterDo you see that happening?

Shane Orio Moody – Team Captain/Goalkeeper“Very difficult, for me it is wishful and hopeful thinking, it is verydifficult. For me the Government has made their position clear, FIFAwrote on Friday making their decision clear. If you notice on theletter that FIFA sent back they had nothing financially, so again in whatway could you affect the FFB by what FIFA said, FIFA just suspended uswhich affect the players and it stated clear that any action taken againstmembers of the present FFB will not be valid in the eyes of FIFA. Atthe end of the day everything that happens affects us the players. Atthe end of the day, we are not playing for Chimilio, we are playing forBelize. When we played against Mexico I think everyone put behindthem the Chimilio problem; we did it against Mexico so why is it sodifficult to do it one more time. This is an opportunity thatpresents itself one in a hundred years, when have you ever heard Belizeplaying eight international matches in one year, it’s impossible and totake that away from us I think is not fair.”

While that is the sentiments of the players, Attorney Lionel Welch who hasbeen very involved in football over the years says this move had to bemade.

Lionel Welch - Football enthusiast“We have to look at the bigger picture; if things were being run the waythey were supposed to have been run and organized we would have ten moretimes more players than we have abroad than we have now. Some of thesame players who FFB did not want to take, they are the same players whothey somehow allow them to be talking on their behalf. From the BPFLpoint of view, from my view, it is not anything personal against Dr.Chimilio it is against his management and the non improvement of footballin the country and the younger players must realize that we must look atthe big picture.”

The national selection that played and defeated Montserrat, 5-2, at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, Trinidad and Tobago, returned to the Philip Goldson International Airport in Ladyville this morning to less than a hero’s welcome.

And it now appears that they will not – yet – get the opportunity to play a first “true” home qualifier on Belizean soil for the 2014 World Cup to be held in Brazil, because they came back to news that the world governing body of football, the International Association of Football Federations (FIFA, in its French initials), had, effective immediately and as of this morning, suspended the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) and postponed the return match against Montserrat until the house of football in Belize is in order.

“The FIFA Emergency Committee decided today, 17 June 2011, to suspend the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) with immediate effect on account of severe governmental interference. The suspension means that the return leg of the qualifying tie for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, due to be played in Belize on 19 June between the home team and Montserrat, has been postponed…” reads the first paragraph of the release announcing the suspension on FIFA’s website, posted today, Friday. (Zurich, Switzerland, the site of FIFA’s headquarters, is eight hours ahead of Belize time.)

What had been dreaded by some, welcomed by others, became a reality this morning after FIFA got an unwelcome communication from Minister of Sports John Saldivar yesterday, Thursday.

FIFA and Minister Saldivar had previously corresponded after the National Sports Council (NSC) withdrew recognition of the FFB as Belize’s national governing body of football last Tuesday, June 7.

Two days later, FIFA wrote separately to the Minister and to the FFB, informing the former that Belize was risking suspension under Article 13 (1) (g) of the FIFA statutes regarding governmental interference in a member organization’s affairs, and FFB that it had until June 30 to see the dispute settled, or else it would be referred to the FIFA Emergency Committee and face suspension.

The FFB had defied Government’s pronouncement that the team it sent to Trinidad earlier this week, captained by goalkeeper Shane Moody-Orio, was not representing Belize and that the FFB was not authorized to represent Belizean football in any capacity, and on Thursday GOB, writing through the Minister of Sports, told the FFB that the Police Department would not provide security at the FFB field in Belmopan, the venue for the June 19 match, with respect to the visiting Montserrat team and FIFA’s match officials.

FIFA responded even more quickly this time. According to its deputy secretary general, Markus Kattner, it referred the matter to its Emergency Committee today, and it was decided to postpone the Belize vs. Montserrat match to a later date, providing that the situation is “back to normal,” but the match must be played before July 10, 2011. Interestingly, FIFA says that the suspension lasts “until the Government of Belize reverses its decision,” and warns that it will not recognize any action taken by Government against the office-bearers of the FFB.

At the Belize Biltmore Plaza today during a press conference, FFB senior vice president Bernaldino Pech, addressing a gathering of media personnel and the disconsolate returning players, opined that he could not imagine that the Government would “purposefully seek to derail the dreams and aspirations of a nation.” He said that the suspension also affects Belize’s participation in any event under FIFA and its subsidiaries, CONCACAF and UNCAF regulation.

For instance, assistant referee Ricardo Ake, who was scheduled to participate in the FIFA Under-17 World Championship in Mexico as a referee, cannot now do so.

Pech told his audience that the FFB is prepared to sit down with Government to discuss a solution. However, the federation maintains that it has registered with the NSC according to regulations under the Sports Act, including presenting the Minister personally with an updated constitution, and that the Government has progressively demanded more and more from them, demands with which they said they have complied.

According to Pech, the FFB field in Belmopan met FIFA standards for a World Cup qualifier, the only stadium in the country to do so at present.

Complicating matters further, match officials and the Montserrat team were already in Belize and waiting to hear if the match would go on. Since it did not, the team left for their homeland later in the day.

FFB president Bertie Chimilio was at the Supreme Court this afternoon with attorney for the Federation, Dr. Elson Kaseke, seeking an injunction against the Sports Council, Minister Saldivar and the Commissioner of Police to force them to reverse their decision on security for the game.

However, they were unsuccessful, since according to Justice Minnet Hafiz-Bertram, the match had already been postponed and would not go off on Sunday as planned.

Chimilio told reporters, including Amandala, after court proceedings ended this afternoon, that the suspension was not entirely unexpected, and that he had managed to acquire the services of 50 police officers who would be off-duty this weekend, but the plan was scuttled with the suspension.

The application for judicial review will be heard as initially scheduled before Madam Justice Bertram on June 27, 2011, after Government attorneys Magali Perdomo and Nigel Hawke requested more time to go over the affidavits and other evidence submitted by Dr. Kaseke.

Agree with the first part and that is the aim I think. It's been tried several times. I was on the committee of the local team one year and watched a local businessman sink 6 figures in six months. It costs a lot to run a team on the Cayes and needs a lot of support. Stadia are a must and the money has to flow out from FFB, or the new incarnation, to the grass roots and then Belizean Football will flourish. FIFA don't help and FFB have been a joke hence the situation. Two Stadia on the mainland would do better. Dangriga area is a football hot bed and would be a better second stadium to the City for the Nation.

Nothing changes at FIFA. Despite the massive corruption scandals that have made Sepp Blatter a global joke, in private he continues to protect discredited officials who remain loyal to him.

The government of Belize in Central America has accused local football boss Bertie Chimilio of banning opponents from elections so he can remain in perpetual power. On June 7, after eight years of urging the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) to publish its accounts and hold transparent elections, the government gave up and told Chimilio his federation ‘was no longer authorised to represent Belize.’

It is a high-risk decision. Belize’s footballers are currently competing in qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup. On June 17 Blatter summoned FIFA’s emergency committee. Not surprisingly it ruled that the Belize government must stop ‘their severe interference.’ Until FIFA gets this guarantee, the national side is banned from playing further World Cup matches. A game against Montserrat has been postponed and may be cancelled if Belize doesn’t bow to Blatter. The team are heartbroken.Committee of Fools Who took the decision to suspend Belize? FIFA ‘s emergency committee is comprised of Africa’s Issa Hayatou (under investigation by the IOC for allegedly taking a $30,000 bribe), Paraguay’s Nicolas Leoz (accused of taking five bribes totalling $730,000) and Sepp Blatter (accused of forwarding a bribe to Joao Havelange and also being investigated by the IOC).

Mohammed Bin Hamman couldn’t vote; he is suspended, accused of paying $1 million in bribes in this month’s FIFA presidential election campaign. Oceania’s David Chung is a new member and alongside him is Uefa’s Michel Platini.

I emailed Platini asking if he had voted to ban Belize, what would he say to their heartbroken footballers and would he supply a copy of the report that Blatter’s bureaucrats prepared for the Emergency Committee?

He hasn’t replied. I asked FIFA for a copy of the report. They declined. They talk the talk about transparency – but nothing has changed.

‘Irregularities and misconduct’ As far back as 2004 Belize’s National Sports Council announced it had discovered ‘numerous irregularities, misconduct and improprieties on the part of the FFB.’ It demanded financial reports, minutes of meetings and properly conducted elections. It didn’t get them. President Bertie Chimilio claimed that FIFA rules prevented him from revealing what he does with the FFB’s money.

A year ago Sports Minister John Saldivar met Chimilio and asked him for evidence about how the federation elects its officials. Despite reminders, Chimilio has not been forthcoming. In early December Saldivar met with FIFA president Blatter and told him that after consulting ‘with footballers, coaches, sponsors and enthusiasts’ he knew that most FFB officials had never been elected.

Saldivar said that he had asked for proper elections and asked Blatter, respectfully, ‘I call on your high office to intervene in this matter to bring about a speedy and amicable resolution.

Blatter did nothing but Bertie Chimilio did. Elections were announced. A slate of clean-up officials was nominated to run against him. Shamelessly, Chimilio banned them all and instead of an election had himself ‘endorsed’ for another term. Outraged, Sports Minister Saldivar announced a special investigation into the FFB and officials from the National Sports Council got to work, interviewing stakeholders around the country. This is the ticking bomb that will likely force Chimilio from power.

In April this year Blatter visited Belize, but with no intention of compromise. ‘Let football be in peace,’ he warned. ‘We need the support of the government but the government should not and never interfere in the organization of our game.’ With Chimilio’s vote secured for the upcoming election, Blatter departed.

Putting Blatter on notice Prime Minister Dean Barrow revealed, ‘Blatter had asked me for him to pay a courtesy call and I said to him that's what it was, a courtesy call. I didn't want to get into matters of controversy but I needed to put him on notice that the government has a problem with the local federation and that the Minister is pursuing a particular strategy. He didn't make any response to that and I left it there.’

The Belize football community has turned its back on Bertie’s FFB and in June stakeholders from across the country met in the National Sports Council’s offices in Belize City and created a new organisation, the National Football Association of Belize. They announced, pointedly, that officials were elected by secret ballot, not Chimilio’s usual show of hands. ‘A new light in football will shine across our country,’ said NFAB President, Michael Blease.

Blatter is fighting a rearguard battle to save Bertie Chimilio. It took only one week for his emergency committee to play the blackmail card. But the Government, given no choice by FIFA but to back off and support Chimilio’s team in the next qualifying game, is holding firm.

In a few days the report of the special investigation into the FFB will be published. It is expected to confirm that Chimilio had no grounds to disqualify his opponents, his ‘election’ is invalid and new elections must be called – with a secret ballot. It is going to be hard for Blatter and his committee to defend the poisonous suspension much longer.

Platini endorses the Dictator Michel Platini seems to have become Blatter’s toyboy, hoping to inherit the president’s crown. Immediately after the disastrous ‘election’ on June 1 Blatter, with Platini in tow, headed for Azerbaijan. It’s a country where reporters risk jail and torture if they ask critical questions – just the kind of media coverage Blatter prefers.

Platini and Blatter went out of their way to endorse the regime, performing photocalls and handshakes for local TV with thuggish President Ilham Aliyev, who inherited the top job from his thuggish father. Over the years Blatter has been happy to prop up any dictator in the world from Charles Taylor in Liberia to the autocrats of central Asia. The message to the oppressed? Your dictator is blessed by the outside world.

Please sign up and back Belize against Blatter & the thugsThe football family in Belize has created its own Facebook page ‘Hands off Belize Football’ and is hoping for global support to force FIFA’s Emergency Committee to reverse its ban and abandon the discredited Chimilio. There’s still time for the Belize team to live their dream and play in the World Cup.

In a few hours, executives FIFA Headquarters in Switzerland will wake up to the news that the National Sports Council and the Football Federation of Belize have not worked out their differences by the deadline given which was June 30th. Earlier this week, attorney for the FFB Elson Kaseke said he hoped that with the submission of the 2010 statutes, things would be worked out before the deadline.

Well they haven't been worked out; unofficial reports from the Sports Council are that it has been unable to convene a meeting to even consider the FFB's statutes. And it appears, that after claiming to wait months for those statutes, that the Sports Council is in no great rush to review them. As we understand it, attorney for the Sports Council Rodwell Williams has advised presiding judge Minnette Hafiz that the Sports Council cannot meet this week.

Presumably the sports council will meet next week, but that is past the FIFA deadline for resolution of the dispute. We note that when it meets, the council may also be considering an application from another body to be accredited as the National Football Association.

The next move is FIFA's - but with all this it appears doubtful that Belize and Montserrat will be able to play the return match of its world cup qualifier. Government maintains its position that the FFB is not certified by the Sports Council and, because of that, no logistical support would be forthcoming from the state.

Before the Sports council can recognise FFB, there are two questions which must be answered.First it has been widely reported that each delegate to CONCACAF was given a brown envelope containing US$40,000 in return for promising to vote for Bin Hammam in the FIFA presidential election. Bin Hammam withdrew on the eve of that election. So the first question is: Who represented FFB Belize at that meeting? and was he given a brown envelope? And what became of its contents?Second question: FIFA have been giving FFB US$500,000 per year for development of football in Belize. May we know how that money has been spent each year?The new organisation NFAB has indeed submitted its application for recognition by the Sports Council. Unlike FFB however, NFAB has held proper elections supervised by an official from the Sports Councilit is time for the Sports Council to put an end to this mess, recognise the new body, and allow GOB to accredit NFAB as the true representative of football in Belize.That must be done quickly as the deadline for the second leg of our WC qualifier is only ten days away.